SOMERVILLE, NJ — A Basking Ridge man was sentenced to 30 years in state prison with 27 years of parole ineligibility for striking a police officer with a vehicle and other offenses.
Brian A. Niziolek, 39, was sentenced Tuesday by Hon. Peter J. Tober, P.J.Cr., following his Dec. 11 conviction on multiple charges.
The charges included second degree aggravated assault, second degree eluding, second degree burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, second degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm, second degree unlawful possession of a handgun, third degree aggravated assault, third degree resisting arrest, fourth degree unlawful possession of a high capacity ammunition magazine, fourth degree unlawful possession of a knife, and second degree certain persons not to possess firearms.
The conviction stems from events that occurred on June 29, 2023, when Niziolek was apprehended by Manville Police Lieutenant John Crater after striking the officer with his vehicle while fleeing an investigative detention on Pope Street in Manville.
The Manville Police Department received a report that day that Niziolek was in possession of a stolen vehicle.
Lt. Crater and Officer John Chismar located Niziolek driving the vehicle on Pope Street.
The officers exited their police vehicle and attempted to detain Niziolek, but he turned the wheels toward Lt. Crater, accelerated, and struck the officer in his arm and hip with the vehicle, propelling him against his own police vehicle.
Lt. Crater and Ofc. Chismar pursued Niziolek as he sped away through Manville, with Officer Christopher Ciempola joining the pursuit in his marked patrol SUV.
Niziolek fled through Manville at speeds in excess of 60 mph and drove the wrong way down a one-way street until he crashed into a vehicle and then into a house on North 5th Avenue.
After crashing into the house, Niziolek fled on foot until he broke through a basement window of a multi-unit apartment building on Brooks Boulevard in Manville.
Niziolek attempted to hide in a crawl space in the basement.
Manville police officers, with assistance from officers from Bridgewater, Hillsborough, and a Somerset County Sheriff’s Department K9 Unit, surrounded the house, entered the basement, and located Niziolek hiding in the crawl space.
Lt. Crater removed Niziolek from the crawl space, handcuffed him, and placed him under arrest.
Police searched the vehicle Niziolek was operating and recovered an illegal MAC-11 type 9mm semi-automatic assault firearm and an illegal high-capacity ammunition magazine containing 30 rounds, along with a bullet-proof vest.
On Jan. 12, Niziolek was charged with third degree attempted witness retaliation and harassment, a petty disorderly person’s offense, for an incident that occurred in the courtroom during the trial.
On Dec. 4, as he was being led into the courtroom by sheriff’s officers, Niziolek spit on an attorney seated in the courtroom whom he mistakenly believed to be a witness for the state.
Following the incident, Niziolek told a sheriff’s officer that he was “having a bad day,” and admitted, “I f***ed up.”
This charge remains pending in Somerset County Superior Court.
